Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid, wearing a v-neck sweater, in 'Criminal Minds'

Will Matthew Gray Gubler Return for ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’?

Spencer Reid actor Matthew Gray Gubler explained why he wasn't in the first season of 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' and opened up about whether he'd appear in the future.

by Megan Elliott

Published on October 16, 2023

2 min read

Matthew Gray Gubler says he’d be ‘honored’ to appear in ‘Criminal Mind: Evolution’

Last year, the BAU returned to TV in the Paramount+ series Criminal Minds: Evolution. While Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), Rossi (Joe Mantegna), and other characters were all there to track down serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), Reid was noticeably absent from the team. The show explained his absence by saying he was on a special assignment. That left the door open for Gubler to appear in future episodes. And it sounds like he’s game to do so.

“Of course! I would be honored. I would absolutely love that,” the actor recently told The Six O’Clock Show (via YouTube) when asked if he’d come back to the Criminal Minds universe.

Gubler went on to explain why he wasn’t in the revival.

“They did a newer spin-off of the show, but it was filming during a time when I was shooting something else, so it didn’t work out,” he said. “But I can’t wait — hopefully it will soon work out.”

‘Criminal Mind: Evolution’ Season 2 is coming to Paramount+

Gubler may get the chance to step back into Reid’s shoes in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2. Paramount+ renewed the streaming series for a second season in early 2023.

“We’re thrilled to bring even more twisted storylines to our loyal fans of Criminal Minds: Evolution with the order of another season,” Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of Paramount Streaming, said at the time. “The series has always been a consistent top performer for Paramount+ and fans have quickly embraced this new season with its more serialized elements.”

Criminal Minds: Evolution builds on the hit police procedural Criminal Minds, which ran from 2005 to 2020 on CBS. The new series follows many of the same FBI agent characters but introduces new villains and season-long, serialized stories.

The ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ finale may have set up Reid’s return

Gubler is apparently willing to revisit his role as the oddball genius FBI agent in future seasons of Criminal Minds: Evolution. And the show’s first season ended with a twist that could signal Reid’s return.

In the Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 1 finale, the BAU team tracked down Voit and took him into custody. But that doesn’t mean his story is over. At the end of the episode, someone visits the methodical killer in the interrogation room where he’s being held. Could it be Reid coming in to question Voit? Maybe. In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Erica Messer said it was “ somebody unexpected.”

Whether or not it’s Reid who shows up to pick Voit’s devious brain, Messer is hopeful Gubler’s time in the Criminal Minds universe isn’t over.

“It’d be amazing,” she said when asked if he or Henney might return. “I’m not giving up hope on that. But I do know that everybody has these lives outside of our show, and that’s the tricky part.”

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